By Victor Ogunje
Street sweepers on the payroll of the Ekiti State Government, Tuesday protested against the N5,000 monthly remuneration by the state government.
They said the N5,000 monthly stipend by the state government could no longer sustain them under the present economic situation.
The protesting workers also demanded the immediate implementation of the N30,000 minimum wage for members that can be in tandem with the current economic realities of the country.
They displayed placards with the inscriptions: ‘Stop Paying Lip Service to Our Plights’, ‘N30,000 is the acceptable Minimum Wage By Law’, ‘Governor Kayode Fayemi, Please Come to our Rescue’, ‘N5,000 is not acceptable Again’, and ‘Our Wage Can’t Take Us Home, We Want Living Wage’, among others.
Addressing journalists at Fajuyi Park, where the protest kicked off, one of the sweepers, Mrs Titilayo Faweya, said they were propelled to undertake the protest to demand for what is right and just for members.
Faweya added that they acted based on the promise made by Governor Kayode Fayemi in 2018 while seeking reelection that he would increase their monthly take home that was slashed by the immediate past government.
“The reason behind this action is that we are not being treated well, we are not fighting Governor Kayode Fayemi or disgracing his government, but we are confronted with the reality and we have to act to prevent us from dying in silence.
“We are collecting a sum of N5,000 monthly, when a kongo of garri is N700 and that of rice N1,000. How can many of us cope with these terrible situations?
“Many of us are widows. In fact, we are really suffering. They promised that things will change, but we are not seeing the signal. All we are getting are promises upon promises. It is time for us to get what is commensurate with our efforts in terms of payment,” she said.
Another sweeper, Mrs Nike Alatise, revealed that they started the street sweeping job in 2003 with N2,500 monthly salary before it was increased to N5,000.
“Many of us have spent close to 20 years on this job. When Governor Fayemi was campaigning, he promised that he would look into our welfare. Some of us are widows, some are living in rented apartments. How do we survive with this paltry amount?
“Our job is tedious and things are difficult for us. To survive is not easy and what we want is a sum of N30,000 monthly stipend that is in tandem with the N30,000 minimum wage already signed into law in Ekiti,” she posited.
But the Commissioner for Environment, Iyabo Fakunle Okiemen, said all the demands of the protesting workers have been taken for onward delivery to Governor Fayemi.
“I have met with them, we have addressed them and got all their demands, so that I can take to Governor Fayemi for necessary action,” she stated.
